A Customer's Thoughts on Wal-Mart

Introduction

Competitive stores always compare themselves to each other. These stores include Kmart, Wal-Mart or Target. Each store says that their prices, deals and customer service are great. Although each store says that, it is the customers knows about those three distinct areas because they have to experience them. Some customers who received good or bad experiences from store based on the prices, deals or customer service may express themselves by filling out a survey or just by writing a review on the internet. One customer who had bad experiences from a very popular store expressed himself by giving 10 reasons Target is better that Wal-Mart.

II.

Based on the article by Steve on 10 reasons Target is better that Wal-Mart, he had no good experience with Wal-Mart. He believes that Wal-Mart’s employees give bad customer service, he always felt sad and nauseated whenever he leaves the store, and Wal-Mart is not comparable to his favorite store Target.

Paraphrase

Bad Customer Service at Wal-Mart

P1: The author express himself by stating that he found it nearly impossible to maintain a positive mental state inside a Wal-Mart store.

P2: Whenever the author leaves Wal-Mart he felt as if he should go home and shower.

C: The author suggested that one should "Visit Target frequently and stay out of Wal-Mart."

Analysis

Based on my reading of the article, the fallacy that was very noticeable was Hast Generalization. Hasty Generalization is when the arguer (author) draws a conclusion on all members of a population (all Wal-Mart stores) based on information about a sample that probably not representative. He draws conclusion from one Wal-Mart and states that all Wal-Mart stores are the same.

An example of Hasty Generalization is followed:

P1: 911 hijackers buy box cutters at Wal-Mart.

P2: Serial killers who are featured on court TV buy their duct tape and rope at Wal-Mart.

C:“Because they feel comfortable there”

Another fallacy that the author used was "Weak Analogy"
Weak analogy is when the arguer used an analogy to form a conclusion. It is a fallacy when the analogy is bad.
The weak analogy is as followed in a direct quote from the author's post:

Sunday Sep 10^th 10:00 AM
Wal-Mart: I smiled at the people greeter. She didn’t greet me or anyone else. She stood there like a zombie looking straight ahead scowling.

After spending 15 minutes looking for a lunch box, I asked an employee where the lunch boxes were. She led us aimlessly around the store with no idea where they were. Eventually she asked another employee working at the jewelry counter, “Hey ya know where the lunch boxes are?”

She looked up from the phone, chewing her gum, said “Nope”, and returned to her telephone.

We didn’t find a lunch box.

As a result, the author is claiming that since one bad event like that happened at one Wal-Mart store, it may happen at the other stores as well, but it won't at Target.